Alpha
by t5UR-t51d
Summary: The beginning of the leadership of a 13 year old. Along with a 500 something year old. WIP.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Written during a phase of madness. Only read if you're prepared for anything. And I mean anything. AxI (can't write anything else, sorry.)

By: t5ur-t51d

* * *

**ALPHA**

A gunshot.

It was a loud sound.

Her shoulder bled and hurt. But she did not tremble.

One shot was all it took.

The empty shell fell down with a sharp noise. Strangely, Richard fell down quietly enough.

So was the beginning of the leadership of Integra Wingates Hellsing, the righteous sword.

* * *

1. 

Even though Alucard had saved her life, Integra still felt uncanny having the monster following her on her way to the house doctor. Asking about what he was doing didn't seem much of an option either. _Perhaps vampire servants have to do this all the time? _She knew Walter did not do such a thing, but then Walter got paid, did not call her 'my master', and his service agreement was something every other butler in the whole England did. She'd never known what a vampire as a butler, er, a servant, did. Taking bullets meant for the master was one of it, obviously.

She reached the door leading to the doctor's room and wondered what Dr. Seward would do if he saw Alucard. She decided to keep her new servant out of sight and spoke, "Alucard, you better..." As she turned, the vampire was no longer visible. Her eyes widened. He'd been just behind her, she was sure. Exactly a few seconds ago, right here. She stared down the corridor, trying to spot dusts, mist, bat, or whatever she'd read that vampires usually turned into. There was nothing, even after she strained her eyes.

She tried to preserve her composure, but she couldn't help beaming and thinking, _cool!_

As she walked inside the doctor's room, somewhere in the shadow Alucard broke into his first hearty grin after 20 years.

- - -

After doctor Seward treated her, Integra decided to go to her father's office, in spite of the doctor's entreaties that she got some rest to make up for the loss of blood and to prevent complications that might come up. But Integra was determined to find out any information about Alucard as much as possible. It was not as if she were afraid of him; all right, she felt fascination mixed with dread, but it was not out of place, she supposed. After all, vampires are not some agreeable chap you spend your leisure time with. But her beloved father had led her to him. He must know what he was doing, and for that part Arthur Hellsing's vouch was a better guarantee than anything else could be. Now she had to find out just what the scope of her protection was.

"Integra..." the good doctor started again.

Integra got up and made for the door. "Thank you for your care, doctor Seward. I have to go now. I have work to do."

"Very well then," the doctor sighed, getting up to open the door for the lady of the house. "I take it your work will not involve something dangerous or harmful to your already wounded arm?"

"I'll see to it, doctor."

The doctor smiled at her and closed the door. He'd known Integra since she was just a little girl and had always been amused by her dignified manner of carrying herself. He supposed it was something she'd inherited directly from her father. It was sad that she should spend her infancy without mother and now without father. And her uncle's plan to kill her, which he only found out just now, was simply outraging.

Dr. Seward turned around, intending to work on the data entry of Integra's latest treatment. He gasped involuntarily at what he saw. From his monitor about twenty red eyes winked at him. "A new sort of screen saver?" The eyes disappeared as he walked closer to the monitor. "Oh no..." he groaned. "Must be some virus..."

- - -

Integra rummaged through everything that she could find in her father's desk in his office. She'd been doing so systematically for at least five hours but still she found nothing. There were a lot of interesting and important things she learned, but not what she was looking for.

She was so sure there must be something about it in the office. Her father couldn't have put something so secretive in the library, could he? Uncle Richard could have found out about it, and Alucard wouldn't have been her protection. But then, Richard had never been a diligent reader. While Integra and her father could enjoy the quiet library for hours, he was never longer than half an hour there, and even so he would always be trying to engage them into conversation.

She remembered how she'd always made him stop by pointing to a book and asking seriously, "Uncle, have you read that book? It is very interesting." Uncle Richard would mutter something about doing it later and get out of the library, which she would only notice after she was done with her book. Her father would lean deeper into the chair and put the book higher as to cover his lower part of the face, his eyes twinkling. Integra used to think he'd just found something amusing in his book.

_Father..._

She stared at the nearest pile to her. It was very late. She was tired. But she was determined to continue with her research. She must find out more of her father's legacy to her. There were too many riddles concerning the vampire. Why, did an institute that eliminated the undead actually _have_ one stored in the basement? Was Alucard too strong to be destroyed at once? But if it were so, why did her father tell her to seek protection from him? So he couldn't be thoroughly, in a mundane expression, bad. It seemed there had been quite a complicated case involving Alucard, whom, for now, she didn't even know where or how to find.

But she did know that she was tired and needed a break. Yawning, the girl stretched her arms upward and pushed the chair backward with her feet against the desk. The chair hit something solid and stopped moving.

Integra looked up and found a pair of red eyes above her. "Oh, it's you," she said, not displeased.

Alucard stepped from behind the chair and stopped at her side, kneeling on one knee so that the difference in height did not have to strain Integra's neck while she maintained eye contact. "How is your shoulder, master?"

Integra appreciated his obliging attention very much, but replied in her matter-of-fact tone, "Dr. Seward treated it, thank you. He doesn't know about you, does he?"

"No."

"I thought so. And the other servants?"

"Only Walter knows me."

"Then, the others don't need to know about you either," she decided and then noticed his new suit. _It matches his eyes. _

Alucard grinned. "Yes, my master."

She still looked at him. _Incredible. A vampire at my command. _Alucard would definitely have come in handy when a long time ago she had to go to school every day. Some of the teachers made it their habit to run her down at every opportunity. _Alucard has only to bare his teeth_, she thought and grinned to herself, imagining how those teachers would tumble pell-mell and return with perhaps the police only to find Alucard gone.

The girl jumped down the chair and paced in the room, hands behind her back. "Tell me, Alucard. What is exactly the content of your servitude to my family?"

Alucard's voice was simply purring with delight. "I won't deny you anything, my master."

Integra stopped and turned to face him. "Great! Now tell me where I can find information about how a vampire came to serve the Hellsing family."

Alucard got up, still grinning, and looked at the papers on the desk. "You won't find it here. The oldest of the papers here are not old enough to tell anything of me."

"But they're dating 200 years back!"

"I'm much older than that."

Integra looked at him, trying to comprehend the meaning of being older more than 200 years, and felt very tired at once.

"And what was the reason of your imprisonment?"

"That I'll leave to you to find out by yourself."

"Why? You said you won't deny me anything."

"Everyone has to make their own distorted version of the truth."

She sighed, dismissing him, "Good night, Alucard."

"Pleasant dreams, master."

- - -

tbc


	2. Chapter 2

**ALPHA**

2.

In the darkness of her bedroom Integra stared at the ceiling above her bed. She was dead tired, there was no doubt about it, but every time she closed her eyes the face of her uncle haunted her. Surely there was no need to be afraid of him anymore. She had disposed of him with her own hand. She had pulled the trigger by herself. She had... she had killed a human being.

Integra sat up and walked to the balcony. Did her father have to kill too? Did all of them, her ancestors, have to fulfill the commandment 'Thou shalt not kill' by killing? And what did they feel? Her father had been proud with his vocation, she was sure of that.

"_Be glorious."_ That was his last words.

Obviously it wouldn't be as nice as it appeared. Being glorious had nothing to do with _feeling_ glorious, she concluded.

The 13-year-old eyed the rail surrounding the balcony with a naughty twinkle in her eyes. In a matter of seconds she was sitting comfortably on it, enjoying the night breeze in her face, her back to the building. She had a good view of the Hellsing headquarters.

"Don't look down, master."

The sudden murmur in her ear caught her by surprise and almost made her lose her balance, if Alucard hadn't been quicker. With one arm around her waist he pulled her backwards so that she was still sitting on the balcony, but practically leaning on him.

Unconsciously Integra had grabbed hold of the arm around her, exclaiming, "Alucard, you idiot! You almost killed me!"

A low chuckle came from just above her head. "You're perfectly safe, master. I was only reminding you not to look down."

"Why shouldn't I?" Integra looked down obstinately. She had often climbed this rail and was never scared of the height, but this time... She could hardly believe her eyes. The distance from the balcony to the ground was terrifying; it was as if a pit had opened in Hellsing's court. She gasped and looked back straight ahead, not yet realizing Alucard was now clasping her securely with both arms. "What's... what's this?"

He only smirked.

She swiftly directed her gaze to see Alucard's satisfied face and came to the right conclusion. "It was your doing!" In one fluid motion she whirled and jumped down from the rail, abruptly pushing him away from her.

"I have warned you, master," he said politely, which added insult to her pride.

"You _wanted_ me to look down!" she spat angrily. "Go away!" Bowing, Alucard retreated and disappeared gradually. Integra remained standing on the balcony, fuming for quite a long time until the quiet music of the night found its way into her and drowsiness overtook the command. She dragged her sleepy feet to the bed, muttering, "What a stupid servant..."

The last thing she remembered before falling asleep was the balcony, Alucard, and his protective arms around her.

- - -

The bedroom windows faced east and Integra slept with the curtains open, so she didn't need an alarm clock. The honorable sun itself woke her up every day, something she thought quite fitting for a Hellsing. This morning, though, she overslept, being a teenager who needed longer sleeping hours and with all the tiring events that happened in one single day yesterday.

The breakfast in the dining room had been cleared, but one of the servants had brought up a tray and put it on the table beside her bed. That was not all; there was a red rose in a vase on the same table.

When Integra woke up, she looked at the beautiful flower with wonder. She knew Walter was returning today, but somehow the first person coming up in mind was not a man, not living anyway. She reached out a hand and fingered the velvety petals lovingly.

"Do you like it, master?"

Now Alucard's sudden and unnatural appearance did not surprise her anymore, and she began noticing that the room temperature slightly changed during his materialization. He stood by the door, in front of Integra, but she only focused her eyes to the rose.

"Yes, thank you."

"The pleasure's all mine."

Integra had to admit that she liked his manner, though she was perfectly aware it might just be a political maneuver to get what he wanted.

For a while no one said anything. Then Integra inquired, "I thought you'd be sleeping during the day."

"That is what weaker vampires need; a gain of strength from slumbering in their coffins, and that the sunlight is ruinous for them, indeed, the day would be the best time for that." He walked to the windows and closed the curtains, which for a while had let the bright light touch him. "I just don't like the sunlight."

Integra was starting to eye her breakfast with interest. "I take it you don't like chocolate cookies either."

- - -

Dr. Seward was looking forward to starting an uneventful day. That kind of days was rare, as everyone working in the Hellsing's household very well knew. He was thinking of paying a visit to miss Hellsing, just to see the wound healing beautifully. He knew it was well-tended but he was hoping for a quiet feeling of satisfaction when he saw that he'd done a good job. And then he could devote some hours to autodidacts to keep up with the wonderful inventions the modern science world had made. Dr. Seward's wish practically exploded into dust, though, when a very tall stranger, clad in red, burst into his office with Integra in his arms, declaring, "She's been poisoned."

- - -

tbc


	3. Chapter 3

**ALPHA**

3.

Half an hour later, Alucard laid his master gently on her bed; Dr. Seward pulled a chair nearby and sat on it, watching first Integra, then her savior. Alucard had found out that Integra had been scheduled to be poisoned the day before; Richard or one of his men had been tired playing hide and seek and thought she might just get some breakfast. So the servants had been ordered to set apart a jug of milk only for Integra. She hadn't drunk it the first morning it was served. But the servant preparing breakfast for Integra the day after that remembered the order and stupidly obeyed it, taking the milk in her room. Some people were so used to obeying orders they never turned their brain on again.

In the mean time, Dr. Seward had found out who or what Alucard was, and was perfectly satisfied in the blissful ignorance of how the vampire came up with the answer from the servants so fast. He hoped the foolish servant was just fired, but then, he really didn't want to know. With the milk at hand he quickly found out what the poison exactly was, and came up with the right antidote fast enough.

Now the girl seemed to be resting. She should be all right in just a few hours, Dr. Seward calculated. He didn't feel like leaving her in the company of a perfect stranger, not to mention a vampire, but then, if Alucard had wanted to hurt her, the doctor supposed he could have done it sooner instead of going through all the trouble of curing her from the poison.

Seward cleared his throat and got up. "Do you mind if I take my leave?"

"Not at all, doctor," Alucard answered softly.

As soon as the doctor closed the door behind him Alucard sat down on Integra's bed, pulling the girl close to him. He had a feeling that protecting this little master of his would prove to be quite a challenge. It would be some fun.

Her skin felt rather warm against his gloved hand as he stroked her head, carefully removing her blonde hair from her face. She still had a slight fever, but it was harmless. For a while he caressed her hair without as much as looking; he sat there, musing for quite an amount of time.

After the Hellsing's motto that some things must be done, Alucard lifted her gently and cradled her in his arms. She stirred but did not open her eyes yet, feeling much too cozy to be bothered. As soon as Alucard's lips touched her own, though, her eyes snapped open. But that didn't bother Alucard, clearly, since he continued brushing his lips against hers lightly.

Integra grasped his arm rather weakly. She wasn't even sure what for, whether to defend herself or to encourage him. Her language faculty seemed to have left her on her own, not to mention she would have had trouble speaking with Alucard's mouth pressed against hers; but even as Alucard broke the kiss, smiling down on her, she could only stare at him speechlessly. She had always been an eloquent girl, so it was as if a spell was cast upon her. Afterwards she did like to think that Alucard did bewitch her, but whether that was true she didn't really know.

She was perfectly aware that she, or at least a part of her which was made of matter, wanted it. And the feeling she had towards him – she could almost call him her knight – was something she'd never felt towards anyone before. She was sure she'd loved her father very much, but this was an emotion so much more dashingly brilliant than the familiar love.

_But..._

She just couldn't do any further consideration. Alucard embraced her very tightly as he bent down and kissed her again. This time her senses had recovered from the shock and came alive, her nerves were laden with such intense impulses she never knew before.

It was simply marvelous.

Before she knew it, she started kissing him back, thrilled at the twofold, threefold sensations. Words or science could hardly suffice to describe what she felt. It was exciting and comforting at the same time, and speaking of time, time ran a thoroughly different course during all of that.

She felt his hands fondling her, now caressing her back, now her nape. He did everything noiselessly, while she could hear her own ragged breathing and how loudly her heart was beating.

But it didn't matter.

Nothing mattered much. Except that he was there, so close to her, so loving...

And then he broke the kiss.

He looked straight ahead, as if he was trying to perceive something invisible and inaudible. His arms were still around her, radiating such fervor she never knew she longed for, but there was something wrong. "What is it, Alucard?" she asked breathlessly, trying to calm herself down.

"Walter is coming."

- - -

When Walter entered the room of Integra Hellsing, she was sitting up in her bed to meet him. She looked bright-eyed, as usual, only her cheeks were more flushed. But then, Walter'd heard that she'd just escaped another attempt of murder, this time using poison.

"How are you, Miss Hellsing?" he asked warmly.

"I'm fine, Walter." She couldn't quite say that she was glad to have him there again; she was, but not at this particular timing.

"I'm glad to hear that. The past few days had been quite in the state of disarray and I should have liked to do something about it."

"I made an interesting discovery in the sublevel. I believe you are acquainted with Alucard?"

"Oh!" the elderly butler gaped at her for a few seconds and then found his voice back. "I never thought-"

Integra interrupted him. "I want a complete report regarding South America and Hellsing's vampire. Put them in my father's..." She cleared her throat and corrected herself, "Put them in my office as soon as possible."

"I understand," Walter smiled the typical gentle smile of his and retreated, bowing.

Alucard appeared as soon as the door closed with a click. She did not look at him, though. The short pause had served to create quite a change in the girl sitting straight in her bed. The mere sight of Walter had been a harsh reprimand for her. "I told you to leave me alone. I need to think."

It had only been four days since her father's death, and there she was, making out with a vampire. She, who was supposed to protect England from these creatures, had degraded to such a degree as to accept the wish of an undead with delight!

She looked up and saw that Alucard was still in the room.

"How dare you disobey- Leave!" she shouted severely. She didn't say anything else, nor did she throw anything at him, but Alucard looked as if she'd just slapped him in the face. He did not say any word, though, and left.

As soon as he obeyed her order, she found out that she did not feel as happy as she ought to. Instead, she felt like crying.

- - -

tbc


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! After this I'm going to portray the Round Table Conference partakers in not a very nice way, so if you think they're all saints, I'm so very sorry.

**ALPHA**

4.

_Arthur Hellsing sat on a chair, looking at a very badly wounded Walter in a bed next to him. The doctor had treated him, and there was nothing else to be done, except to wait. In a few hours a Round Table Conference was about to be held, and how Sir Hellsing wished Walter would come to himself before it. The Conference should be nothing unusual, with debates and disputes, but since they'd just got rid of a powerful enemy, nothing very nasty could come up._

_He had a bad feeling, somehow. He hoped that was not the sign that Walter would lose in this battle of life and death. He was anxious to have him back, the subordinate that was almost as dear as his own son. Walter was good, even very good. Sir Hellsing had no idea how he could have been hurt so badly. There was none left alive, except him and Alucard, but the soldiers shouldn't have been defeated like that. He'd even agreed to join forces with a special unit Sir Duncan vouched for._

"_Alucard."_

_Alucard materialized at the other end of the room, looking unenthusiastic. But it was nothing new to Arthur Hellsing. _

"_What happened?"_

"_The enemy troops, all human, closed in on us and most of the soldiers under Duncan's command were seized by panic. They tried to run away instead of fighting back, those cowards. That got them killed in no time. Walter was left with our soldiers, but he soon was alone." His monotone speech changed; Alucard spoke with a certain pride in his voice as he continued, "I disobeyed your direct order not to attack humans under any circumstances, but it was too late."_

"_I see." Arthur's voice was weary, his head bowed. He got the hint Alucard offered him; his order not to attack humans was a joke. He, the other knights, they all wished humans could protect humans from the undead by themselves. Damn their foolish idealism! "Damn my foolish idealism..." he muttered to himself. He decided not to listen to the beautiful suggestions of his fellow knights so much anymore. Why hadn't he seen through them before this? Humans, including the knights, were never fearless. That was exactly the reason why Alucard continued to be useful to the Hellsing institute. The other knights despised the idea of using a vampire to protect England, but they allowed Alucard to face his fellow species anyway because they were afraid of fighting against vampires. This was decided not because of practical reason, not because of simple math, but because they were afraid. Afraid!_

_If only he'd come sooner to this conclusion... _

_Alucard stood still, arms crossed in front of his chest. He wasn't exactly following Arthur Hellsing's thoughts with full intention but sensing what went on in his master's mind had been something so natural as liking blood. He'd given up trying to understand humans a long time ago, and as more time passed the more convinced he was that he'd never understand them. _

_Arthur Hellsing was a remarkable man, possessing a wonderful balance of strength and a gentle heart. But being equipped with his faculty of mind-reading, Alucard knew exactly what conflicts his master – and all his other masters, actually – took upon himself for the sake of others. It almost seemed they were born to torture themselves. His duty was to protect them, but he couldn't protect them from themselves. _

_Being a vampire was much more practical. He decided by himself what he wanted and was going to do, and most of the times his human master's orders were human enough, meaning it would not endanger him, except that he might be bored to death. One could take saving Walter yesterday for example. He was fond of Walter. The fellow was a fine fighter and did not discriminate others based on whether one had been dead before. But he wouldn't deny that killing the enemy was a lot of fun. Not that they'd put up much of a fight, but he could live with that. _

_As a comparison, Arthur Hellsing was now torn apart between encouraging Alucard to act according to the worth of human's life or discouraging him from violating his master's order. Truth to be told, Alucard did not care. He would still do the same no matter what his master had to say about it. He was the servant, Hellsing the master, but he had more freedom than his sovereign._

- - -

"Walter."

"Alucard," Walter greeted him, pleased at his appearance in Integra's office. "It's been a long time."

Alucard grinned. "You're still alive."

"I kept myself out of trouble while you were not around."

He nodded approvingly, and then looked at a picture of Integra's father. "The generation has moved along to a promising successor, I learned."

Walter eyed him with interest. He had not the slightest doubt regarding Integra, but he had never heard Alucard speak so highly of anyone at all, not even Arthur Hellsing, who was an excellent master by all standards, excepting a few things. "I'm glad you have so much confidence in miss Hellsing."

Alucard turned to him and grinned in a certain way that intrigued Walter, then left. The elderly butler wrinkled his forehead with a frown, trying to remember when he'd last seen that particular grin, as Integra walked inside the office.

"Is something wrong, Walter?"

"Ah, miss Hellsing," Walter welcomed her heartily. "Nothing is wrong. I was just tempted to make a journey into the past after meeting Alucard."

Integra walked past him and sat on his father's – her – chair.

"Do you know why he was imprisoned?"

"It was the order of the Round Table Conference, I believe. And it was not imprisonment either, but a death sentence. Unfortunately I was in a very bad state of health at that time, so I only knew what was told to me later. In the reports during my absence there was one particular report of a vampire attacking the Hellsing house. I have a feeling that Alucard was meant by this report, although there is no other clue available."

"Why is the whole thing so obscure? Why has father been this concealing!" she complained. Alucard's words came to her mind. _"Everyone has to make their own distorted version of the truth."_ It seemed she could hardly get any facts to begin with. She weighed the matter in her mind again, and asked Walter, "Why did the Round Table Conference issue an order to kill Alucard?"

- - -

tbc


	5. Chapter 5

**ALPHA**

5.

_After sir Hellsing went to the Round Table Conference, which had not been held in the Hellsing house, Alucard was ordered to stay with Walter and immediately inform him if he'd recovered. Arthur Hellsing went, not knowing what awaited him, but Alucard saw more clearly how things were shaping against him. _

_Sir Duncan, the eldest gentleman among them all, and the others who blindly adored human above all other living beings were determined to use this one chance to get rid of the one they believed to be the only vampire left in England hiding under the protection of Hellsing. _

"_I never knew my men to be running away from enemy, except if it was your horrific vampire causing this!"_

"_We've seen the casualties and it's devastating. The Hellsing organization is not able to protect human!"_

"_You've been much too fond of your vampire servant, Arthur! That causes you to be biased. You cannot differentiate between facts and wishful thinking."_

"_We need an impartial judgment on this. Vampires are vampires, and they must be got rid of! Have you no idea how hard the creature must be laughing behind your back?"_

"_Indeed! Offering safeguard and shelter for a vampire! There's no bigger mistake one can make. You can forget us financing something like that!"_

_Sir Islands's speech came last and in spite of the calmness in which his words were delivered, its impact was by no means comforting. "May I remind you, Sir Hellsing, that the true mission of your institute is to kill _all_ vampires? I'm certain the Hellsing organization must be capable enough to fulfill its purpose without help from the undead."_

_There was nothing Arthur Hellsing could do in the conference. They were all united in fear. They would not listen to anything he got to say. For once Sir Hellsing was not the only person pounding on the table and shouting. Even as he finally made himself heard, explaining that it was his order that kept Alucard from eliminating the enemy, and that it was Alucard's own decision to finally disobey him that gave them the victory they desperately needed, it made no difference. _

_Instead, things worsened. _

_One questioned Alucard's sane reasoning to have waited that long. There was no use explaining that vampires moved according to a totally different way of thinking. The other expressed his doubts in the faith that was put into a being that was able to rebel against a direct and clearly formulated order. And everyone blamed Arthur Hellsing for having a vampire in the first place. There, in the honorable organization of the Royal Protestant Knights!_

_Hellsing was finally forced to agree to eliminate Alucard. He thought of a solution; that he would pretend to kill Alucard, but in reality he would just keep him secret until a better time emerges. Humans are so fickle, and there will be a time when the knights will realize they need Alucard. So he schemed._

_What he didn't know was an order to destroy Alucard had been already issued by the conference even before his arrival, and that at the very moment Hellsing soldiers were assailing Alucard under the command of the Round Table Conference. And Alucard, naturally, fought back._

- - -

"Well, miss Hellsing, not every one of the Round Table Conference had been fond of the idea of using a vampire to fight vampires."

Integra made a mental note not to mention about Alucard to the knights. And as an addition, she thought of a possible reformulation of Hellsing's mission: To end all earthly activities of non-human creatures. _Non-human is good_, she thought with satisfaction. The status of being human is not necessarily something that's only physical. It could mean having or showing those positive aspects of nature and character that distinguish human beings from the lower animals. Being biologically alive was not obligatory.

Walter was speaking, "They only needed the occasion to justify their purpose. The mission was completed, mostly due to Alucard's accomplishment, given that I was badly wounded and the others dead. But obviously that could cause some complication, since Alucard did not set out to fight from the very beginning – which was perfectly in accordance to the order given to him."

"What order?"

"Not to attack human beings."

"But he did it anyway. Isn't that something you would call human, Walter?"

"Yes indeed," Walter answered, then added, "I'm afraid otherwise I would have been dead."

If Integra had a beard, she would have tugged at it repeatedly to accompany her rather desperate thinking. But since she hadn't that luxury, she only drummed her fingers on the desk, trying to find something they might have overlooked. "You said you were in a bad state of health, but you must have experienced something."

"I was unconscious most of the time, I'm afraid, but..." Walter stopped. Now he knew where he saw that grin of Alucard.

- - -

_A surprise awaited Arthur Hellsing as he arrived home. From the entrance he could see corpses of Hellsing soldiers on the floor. Blood was everywhere. The annihilation was carrying Alucard's personal signature. For a while Arthur Hellsing looked around in desperation, and then remembered something, he dashed to the room of the most important person for him at that time. "Walter!"_

_Alucard had been in Walter's room for quite a long time before Sir Hellsing arrived, standing there quietly, blood all over him. He was waiting. Waiting for Walter to wake up, waiting for Sir Hellsing to arrive. Waiting for ignorance to seal the fate of his and his master's. _

"_Walter!" Arthur Hellsing burst inside the room with a gun in his hand. That gun contained mercury bullets, all of them knew that. And it was aimed at Alucard. "Get away from him!"_

- - -

tbc


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing. Please keep in mind that even if I don't write it, I'm really, really thankful that you're reading and reviewing.

Nadilius Weasley de Diethel: So sorry to disappoint you, but for the time being, I think an AxI scene like chapter 3 was really an exception. (sigh) Yes, I really wish there's more...

* * *

**ALPHA **

6.

"Go on." Integra looked at her butler impatiently, who only continued after a while of deep thinking, his forehead wrinkled in a frown.

"For quite some time I thought it was merely a dream. I woke up and could not see quite clearly, but I knew it was Alucard who came near to me. He was covered with blood so initially I thought we were still in the battlefield. He grinned at me and left without a word. Later I found out it took place here, in this house." Walter paused and added a comment, "I presume he knew his doom beforehand."

Integra knew Walter very well, and knew what he called as presumption was often something true whose explanation came later. "How could he? I know he's not human, but he can't see the future, can he?"

"He has access to some things we can only know in a later point of time. That is all I know." He continued, "After that I never saw him again, until just now. I really thought Alucard was as good as dead. I've never been more pleased to find out I was mistaken." A smile accompanied his last sentence.

_Mistaken..._ Integra pondered at this. Had her father perhaps made a mistake? Did he know that? Is that why he did not kill, but just imprisoned Alucard? Or had he probably meant to kill him but was unable to?

"Ah, that reminds me. I have to take care of Alucard's nourishment," Walter said, taking his leave.

"You... just how?" Integra found her voice slightly quivering.

Walter turned and smiled reassuringly. "Transfusion blood, ma'am. It's a very practical and useful family tradition."

Before he did leave, though, Alucard chose that particular time to appear in front of both of them. At first Integra scowled at him innerly, though on the outside her face remained blank. She realized she couldn't send him away without any just reason while Walter was there. Walter might think she was afraid of the vampire. Then she reconsidered and thought Alucard wouldn't dare to do unreasonable things in front of Walter. _Or would he?_

She eyed the vampire warily, thinking _he'd better not tell on me- But why would he do that? Kissing a girl when he's himself a perverse geezer isn't anything to be proud of. It sounds more like underage abuse. _But a voice in her head accused her, _but you consented to that perverse geezer's proposal. _

Integra shuffled her feet uneasily at this nag of conscience – for what else could the voice be? Alucard caught her eye and grinned conspiratorially at her. The grin was anything else but comforting, though.

"Alucard," Walter, who stood between the vampire and his master, was saying, "please be patient until I take care of the blood reserve."

A low chuckle answered the retainer. "Don't worry. I'm perfectly gratified with but miss Hellsing's delightful affection."

Integra stared at her vampiric servant. There was no doubt about it; he was definitely sneering.

Without knowing, obviously both of them had hopped on the train for the journey of constant discoveries of new, unexpected features of the other. If Alucard thought he was only affected by silver, mercury and blessed items, now he learned that a pair of icy blue eyes could glare at him in such a way that it actually hurt.

Walter allowed himself a polite, reminiscing smile, obviously reminded of a memory where another pair of master and servant struggled for dominance over the other, and left the room.

Integra looked at the servant left behind with narrowed eyes, having the most accurate notion that having Alucard in the family obviously meant she had to do some taming consistently. To do that, she needed to know just where she had advantage over him and where the opposite was true. If what Walter said was true, about him knowing things more than his human masters did, what his father and his predecessors had accomplished was truly an achievement. It would be really bad if he could read minds, for example.

"I heard you have some access to things unknown to human. How and exactly what kind of things?"

Alucard's cheeky grin grew wider. Very casually he said, "For instance, I know that you were wondering why I kissed you. And you wonder even more why you let me kiss you."

Integra felt her muscles tightening. She couldn't do anything about her blood running up high, filling the fine veins in her face, but she was still perfectly able to transfer all frigidity to her voice, "It was a mistake."

Alucard let out a self-confident chuckle. "I won't prolong your suffering, Integra. I was, and am, offering you an option. There is a vast scope of _other_ possibilities how we can stand together beside the only old, boring way your father and ancestors know."

Integra smiled. It was all she could do in order not to laugh. "I've made it clear that I won't allow a vampire to order me around. You are and will remain my servant, Alucard."

She had not spoken in an unkindly manner, but as he softly replied, "As you wish, master," and retreated, Alucard very much appreciated the fact that Integra couldn't read his mind.

- - -

It was midnight. Darkness covered Great Britain while the pale moon and the host of stars shone down on the Hellsing house.

Integra was already sleeping, exhausted. The whole time Alucard had constantly showed himself only to disturb the little master, who already had quite a number of things in mind. She had to take care of some matters, like the preparation for the knighting ceremony and the commander of Hellsing soldiers who doubted her leadership very much. Alucard knew her already existing troubles, of course, but that only gave him more the reason to tease her.

Now he'd let her fall asleep, though more out of life preserving reasons than sympathy. He knew her limits and stopped bothering her just before she would actually put some mercury bullets in him. While it meant he could live longer, by now he was bored and decided to slip into Integra's bedroom.

The vampire opened the door and walked inside. His steps echoed in the spacious room. But Integra was sleeping like dead, and did not wake up, even as he knelt by her side, propping his chin on her bed, and watched her. She was dreaming of happier days, when she still had her father and did not have to worry about holding the reins over a horrid vampire.

Alucard grinned.

Her father had been different. He had known Alucard for as long as he could remember and while his own father, Integra's grandfather, was still around. Even for a vampire as powerful as Alucard, teasing two masters were not as easy as one. But now he only had this one master, the blonde teenager curled under her blanket. Asleep. Looking like any ordinary person. Like any fragile human being.

His resentment for her refusal earlier that day slowly dissolved into unsentimental recognition that she was, in fact, his master.

Gently Alucard brushed her blonde hair off her face and rest his hand there.

With all his efforts to rouse her out of her comfort limits, he wasn't merely being mean; all that had educational goals as well as... other goals.

If Integra was meant to defeat the undead, she needed to learn, first of all, how to face fiendish creatures with supernatural abilities exceeding hers. It was a cruel challenge, even if she were a 30-year-old man. And here she was, a 13-year-old girl as the protector of England, who but for a couple of days ago thought vampires were to be killed with stakes.

He chuckled. _Arthur must have really resented dying. _

Integra turned, but her eyes remained closed. Alucard lifted his hand and stood up, eyes on her.

_We'll go through this together. And you, my master, will be glorious._

She let out a deep sigh of content in her sleep.

- - -

tbc


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Written after watching Viva La Bam in MTV.

**ALPHA**

7.

During a search for any useful hint regarding Alucard's imprisonment, Integra had made quite some discoveries. Today one of them was a huge black coffin in quite an outlandish shape, not just a plain rectangle box. It had some writings on it as well.

"What's this, Walter?" she turned to the old butler who accompanied her and was currently being very interested in some weapons also found in the same room. Walter immediately came to her side and smiled as he recognized the object of Integra's curiosity.

"That would be Alucard's coffin."

"If I want to kill him I just have to destroy it, right?" Integra said, redirecting her memory towards the morning earlier that day.

She had suffered from a nightmare consisting vampires and other undead. They wanted to end the vampire hunter organization and tried to turn her into one of them. Just as one of them sank his teeth into her neck, she snapped out of sleep. Then she saw an unknown enormous black shape in her room. Her heart had really stopped beating for a second or two, uncertain whether it was dream or reality. She snatched her glasses and put them on.

_It's just a big dog. _

After recovering from the astonishment, she thought it was quite harmless. It was only prancing around playfully as if it were a cute little puppy, she reasoned. Obviously this was Alucard's idea of a joke. She set her feet on the floor and didn't pay any attention to the dog anymore.

At this point of time the brute suddenly growled at her. Its teeth gleamed in the morning sun.

Integra stood stock-still. She remembered things she'd read about meeting a dangerous dog. Don't look into the dog's eyes. Don't make any sudden movement that might surprise the dog. Don't run.

It didn't help.

The beast continued to growl threateningly, the hairs on its hackles rising. She knew what mutilation a big dog could do to a human being. Her heart was pounding so fast in her chest that it hurt. The creature could turn her into mincemeat in no time.

Her mind flew to the gun in her drawer. Very slowly, as not to provoke the almost wolf-like animal, she stretched out her arm towards it.

The brute suddenly pounced on her and hurled her to the bed. She was so startled she couldn't even scream for help. The dog was much stronger than its appearance. The only thing left was fighting the hellhound with her bare hands. Whatever prolonged the sharp teeth cutting into her flesh was fine.

That didn't happen, though.

The muzzle transformed into a familiar grin of Alucard's. Instead of the dog, there was now just the old Alucard, his face only millimeters above hers, his hands holding her wrists firmly against the bed. Mockingly he emphasized her lesson, "When you're in trouble, you should call me, master."

"Get off me this instant!" Integra glared at him, but he only laughed. She would have liked nothing better than to do something violent to him. But he had disappeared quickly, leaving her with nothing to kick except thin air.

Now Alucard's maniacal laughter still rang in her ear. She looked at the coffin of that unpleasant servant with the hope she might just get the weapon she needed. In Bram Stoker's Dracula it's written that vampires could be disturbed if their coffin were harmed.

"I don't think it would be that simple, miss Hellsing," Walter answered truthfully.

Integra's disappointment was obvious.

She didn't want to give up, though. Maybe she could lure him inside it and then nail it down, ship it to Timbuktu, bury it down a garlic plantation, or, or... She was thoughtful for a while before turning to Walter, her blue eyes solemn as she spoke, "I was thinking of getting rid of him."

Walter stared at her in wonder, trying to fathom her. While he had no doubts how, ahem, pissing off Alucard could be, Walter couldn't be more convinced that the vampire was vital for the Hellsing institute, especially in these times.

The commander of the Hellsing troops, Williams, had openly expressed his lack of confidence in Integra. He didn't have anything personal against Integra. He didn't even know her personally, except for very brief and fleeting meetings.

"But I do know that fighting vampires is not a child's play, Walter," he said, running his hand through his hair. He appeared quite desperate, and spoke of the possibility of earning his bread in another organization.

Williams was a loyal man with sane judgment, and it would be a sorry loss if he quit. If he could help it, he would rather stay as well. But he couldn't promise he would obey the orders of a 13-year-old girl just because she happened to wear the surname Hellsing. A slight mistake could end up in many casualties, not excluding himself and his subordinates.

Walter decided to let Integra take this thing into her own hands, arranging a meeting between them that was to happen today. But the butler was getting a bit worried, especially with what she said regarding Alucard. He started to wonder what would happen if Integra dismissed people just because they didn't care to humor her.

She had been an only child and there was this father-daughter thing that left Integra lacking of the most important experience of life; there had been rarely an occasion when she got no for an answer. She had been a wise child most of the time, knowing what was good for her and what not; that Walter must admit. Still, obviously this lack of experience was the main reason Integra was ready to do without the most powerful weapon of Hellsing's. She had always had servants who obeyed her without asking, and if they made a mistake, they could always be fired and replaced by someone else. But Alucard's contract time was something nearing forever, and he most certainly could not be replaced by just anyone.

"You think that's a bad idea, don't you, Walter?" Integra said calmly, sitting on the coffin like a young Cleopatra on her throne.

Walter cleared his throat. "As a matter of fact, Miss Integra... yes, I do."

"I figured. Setting loose a rascal vampire like him does not in any aspect conform to Hellsing institute's objective."

Walter smiled in relief. "I agree." Perhaps it wasn't such a disadvantage, after all, that she was used to having people run and carry out her command at a finger's snap. She knew she was the boss; she couldn't afford to make mistakes.

"But," the girl said sharply, "you'll help me tame him."

- - -

tbc


End file.
